The loss of bladder control is a common and embarrassing problem that can really disrupt daily activities - especially for women who have had at least one pregnancy and have not had a cesarean section. A recent study from the Aesthetic Surgery Journal shows that an abdominoplasty, more commonly known as a “tummy tuck”, not only creates a firmer and smoother abdomen, but can also relieve the symptoms of urinary incontinence.

During pregnancy, women undergo hormonal changes and the increased weight of the uterus can lead to stress incontinence. Similarly, a vaginal (non-cesarean section) pregnancy can weaken the muscles that are needed for bladder control and can also damage bladder nerves and supportive tissue. There are several non-surgical treatments to help bladder control such as fluid and diet management, medication, muscle exercises and absorbent pads. But sometimes these techniques aren’t successful and so it might be time to consider surgery.

In the study, physicians discovered that in some abdominoplasty procedures, it’s possible to pull up enough soft tissue from the pelvic area to suspend the urethra and create a small outlet around the bladder to reduce incontinence. The authors found that this surgery alleviated the symptoms of 60% of their patients and they can see abdominoplasty as being an option to treat and relieve the symptoms of incontinence when other non-surgical treatments are unsuccessful.